Sarah Ferguson writes touching tribute to her late mother

Sarah Ferguson has said she misses her late mother's 'shining spirit' in a touching tribute shared over two decades on from her death. 

The Duchess of York, 64, honoured her mother, Susan Barrantes, in a heartwarming post she shared on Instagram, marking the 26th anniversary of her passing.

Mother-of-two Sarah, who was married to the Queen's son Prince Andrew for 10 years, shared a sweet selection of photos of her mother on social media, writing that Susan was 'far too young to be taken from us' when she died.

Paying tribute to her mother, who passed away in September 1998, Sarah said she missed her daily, reflecting on her 'zest for life' and 'shining spirit'.

Susan, a documentary filmmaker, died following a car crash in Argentina, just one year after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Susan had been travelling with her nephew Raphael at the time over the crash -  though he survived, sustaining only minor injuries.

The Duchess of York's mother earned the nickname 'the bolter' and caused a stir in British social circles when she eloped with Argentinian polo player Hector Barrantes in 1975, a year after her divorce from Fergie's father Sir Ronald Ferguson.

Sir Ronald died in 2003 following a heart attack in Basingstoke, Hampshire. 

Sarah's emotional Instagram post said: 'My much-loved mother Susie died 26 years ago today. 

'She was far too young to be taken from us and I often reflect on the fact that at just 61, she was younger than I am now when she died in a cruel accident. 

'I think constantly of her zest for life and her shining spirit. Like all of us, she made mistakes but she taught me to value each and every day and to always seek to treat people with kindness. I miss her greatly.'

In one of several pictures accompanying the sweet caption, Susan can be seen joining Sarah on the Buckingham Palace balcony on the day of her daughter's royal wedding day in 1986.

In another pictures, Susan is pictured in a black and white photograph, grinning at the camera as her long hair blows behind her in a glamorously windswept shot. 

In another picture, Susan is pictured beaming to the camera as she holds a telephone up to her ear. In the cheeky snap, she wears a glamorous frock and silver tiara.

Reacting to the post, the duchess' youngest daughter, Eugenie, wrote: 'Miss beautiful Granny Susie.' 

Susan was buried beside second husband, Hector Barrantes, who'd died away eight years earlier.

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The day is one which is particularly difficult for Sarah as it also marks the anniversary of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

In 2023, she wrote a touching tribute to both women, who were both immensely important individuals in her life.

That year, Sarah wrote: 'My beloved mother Susie died 25 years ago today, taken far too young. 

'There isn't a day that goes by when I don't think about her, her indomitable spirit and her joy for life.

'Today is also the first anniversary of Her Late Majesty the Queen's funeral.

'As I have often said before, the Queen was like a second mother to me and I will always be grateful for the love and understanding she showed me throughout her life.

'Today I celebrate the legacy of the two women who gave me so much strength and courage.

'I am so thankful for their guidance and the examples they set, which I try always to live up to.'

Writing on the first anniversary of the Queen's death Sarah honoured her friendship with the late monarch, calling her a 'wonderful friend, mentor and a second mother' in a touching Instagram post.